World’s Student Christian Federation. 
European Student Relief Series No. 11. 


THE CLOTHING FAMINE. 


In Austria. 


‘We are the only Relief Organisation that provides clothing for women 
students. It is quite impossible for a girl, even if she gives five to six lessons 
a day, at Kr. 25 an hour, to buy clothes. Boots cost Kr. 1,600-4,000 : 
material for costumes, Kr. 1,000-1,400 a metre: blouse, Kr. 300-500 : under- 
clothes (the most crying need), Kr. 300-500 a-piece. We charge Kr. 20-50 
a garment, and every girl gets a cake of soap with her clothes. Boots, stock- 
ings and handkerchiefs are badly needed: jersey coats are a great asset for 
girls who have to work in unheated rooms. The men are no better off, and 
there are ten needy men to every needy girl.” 


‘“B. is a refugee student, father killed in war, alone in the world, totally 
disabled, brought to us by a friend. . He hobbled in on two crutches, a tall, 
nice-looking boy. He wears an old blouse tunic, which has been patiently 
stitched together again and again at the shoulders, the sides and the pockets. 
Most of -the buttons in front are missing, but there is a hook and eye at the 
collar to keep the tunic closed. The trousers were once black, but are in 


tatters now in front, behind, and round the pockets : surprising that the whole 


outfit continues to hang on him. He was shot through the lungs, and one 
lez is away below the knee; operation badly done on field, so that he still 
has pain. We are giving him a special ration of food each week, and fitting 
him out with clothes and boots.’’—Reports, Jan., Feb., 1921. 


In Hungary. ‘ 


Among 3,497 students in Budapest answering a questionnaire there 
were found to be :—24.4 p.c. who owned one suit only, 9.3 p.c. who had 
no full suit, 2.2 p.c. with no shirts at all, 8 p.c. with one pair of socks or 
stockings only, 7 p.c. entirely without stockings or socks. One pair of 
stockings costs Kr. 300—the price of chief daily meal for one month. 


January 18th, Cable.—‘*‘ We must clothe 5,000 men immediately with 
warm underwear, sweaters, socks, and 2,000 pairs of shoes. All other relief 
assumes real value only when this primary necessity is met. We must do 
it now, not thirty days hence. Rush London shipment. Red Cross has 
given wool; students are making cloth in textile laboratory.”’ 


January 22nd, Letter.—‘‘ Fifteen women visited all the women students’ 
Hostels; they found some 300 girls in a literally indescribable state of 
destitution : 400 others suffering. In many cases their shoes are in pieces, 
they have. no underwear. A great many have worn out the feet of their last 
pair of stockings, but are still wearing the legs of the stockings to conceal 
the bare skin between the top of the boot and the skirt. They need boots, 
stockings, underwear, sweaters or coats.’’-— From our Field Representative, 
Budapest. 


In Poland. 


December, ig2t, Cable.—‘‘ 1,200 recently demobilised students in 
Warsaw are houseless. They are sleeping in railway stations and in the 
streets. These students have no underwear, few clothes, no money. Impera- 
tive that money and clothing be sent immediately.’’ | 


This was but the beginning. Clothing destitution increases with the 
advance of demobilisation. Demobilised women students from the Women’s 
Legion are affected as well as men. ‘‘ No underwear ’’ must be taken liter- 
ally. 

From a Relief Worker's Diary in Poland.—‘* Bought a lot of sweaters 
cheap. Weather terribly cold. Enjoyed myself giving sweaters to fifteen 
men or so, with no overcoats. Some had nothing under their thin army 
blouses but a cotton shirt. Came across T., a medical student. He’s keeping 
himself by basket weaving, Mk. 30 a day (5d.). He has only one pair of 
trousers: his boots are in holes, and the soles are quite through. - Offered 
to have them mended, but he said he had no others. Told him to come and 
borrow a pair of mine, but he has not turned up.’’ 

A week later.—‘‘ Came across T. again, and took him to my digs to 
get a sweater. Got those boots off him at last—just as I suspected, he would 
not come because he had no socks, and had had none through these three 
freezing months. Well, he has got socks now, and a pair of my boots, till his 
are mended. I don’t think they will mend myself. They are too far gone.’’ 


N.B.—Conditions in other parts of Central Europe are just as bad. Many 
thousands of Students need every kind of useful clothing, both for summer 
and winter: also soap, shoelaces, buttons, needles, thread, hairpins. 


In face of these facts, what can we do? 


I, Give or Raise Money. 

Careful investigations have established the fact that far the best and 
most economical way to meet the clothing crisis is to furnish money, for 
purchase in the needy areas. Why? (1) Money ts saved, despite the enor- 
mous prices, utterly prohibitive to students of these countries, because our 
field representatives, owing to the adverse exchange, can purchase far cheaper 
than we can in more fortunate countries. (2) Time is saved, for if money 
be sent, clothing can be secured at a day’s notice, instead of taking months 
on the way, owing to difficulties of transport. 

N.B.—Money sent for clothing should be sent to Geneva Headquarters, 
to our Treasurer, Mr. Louis Hess, 13 Avenue de Champel, Geneva, Switzer- 
land; under no circumstances should money be sent direct to the relief areas. 


II. If you cannot obtain Money the following methods are very useful :— 


A.—Obtain gifts of material or made-up clothing from merchants and 
stores. Get women students to knit or to make garments; get men in 
Textile Departments to weave cloth. 


B.—Make collections of good second-hand clothing, suitable for stu- 
dents. Do not send what you could not use yourself. 


Supplies of clothing thus obtained should under no circumstances be dis- 
patched to any field without consulting Mr. Lewis Dunn, 13, Avenue de 
Champel, Geneva. Advise Geneva as to type of goods and quantity col- 
lected. Geneva will then recommend where the goods should be sent. The 
needs of different countries vary from week to week as supplies are sent in, 
and only Geneva knows the. actual clothing stores in each country. 


March, 1921. 


WORLD’S STUDENT CHRISTIAN FEDERATION 
EUROPEAN STUDENT RELIEF. 


JOHN R. MOTT, CONRAD HOFFMANN, : RUTH ROUSE, 
Chairman, Executtve Secretary, Publicity Secretary, 
347, Madison Avenue, 13, Avenue de Champel, 28, Lancaster Road, - 


New York City. Geneva, Switzerland. Wimbledon, London, S.W. 19. 


